Smoke.
That was the first thing Adrian smelled as he burst into the abandoned house deep in the woods,the place the letter said would hold his mother. He didn’t wait. He tore through the door, boots slamming against wood, yelling her name.
"MOTHER!" he screamed.
But the only answer was fire. Flames licking the edges of the hallway, smoke flooding into his lungs. He coughed violently, tearing his jacket to cover his mouth. Through the heat and blinding grey, he saw her.
She was tied to a pillar, unconscious, slumped, as if she'd given up long ago.
He sprinted forward, dodging falling beams. A plank came down near his shoulder, sparks flying.
"Hang in there! I'm here!"
He reached her, struggled with the ropes. The heat singed his fingers. He winced but pulled harder.
Then...
A voice
